Typically, gas turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for mixing the compressed air with fuel and igniting the mixture, and a turbine blade assembly for producing power. The compressor blade assembly typically includes a rotor assembly rotatable positioned in a turbine compressor case and having a plurality of compressor blades extending radially outward from the rotor assembly. The turbine engine also includes a plurality of stationary compressor vanes, which are also referred to as diaphragm airfoils 4 attached to diaphragms 2, extending radially inward from the turbine compressor case 6. The compressor blades and compressor vanes 4 are aligned into rows, or stages, and are positioned in alternating rows of vanes and blades. The compressor vanes 4 are typically attached to a turbine compressor case 6 via a hook fit 8, as shown in cross-section in FIGS. 1 and 2. The hook fit releasably and securely attaches the compressor vanes 4 within a turbine engine. During operation, the hooks fits 8 are susceptible to wear due to vibration, heat, and other factors. For instance, a hook fit 8 is typically worn in the areas 7 shown in FIG. 2. Such wear negatively affects the safety and efficiency of a turbine engine in which the wear occurs.
Typically, such wear regions 7 are repaired on turbine engines during outages in which other aspects of the turbine engine are repaired. Repairing the diaphragm 2 and related components generally takes weeks because of the time needed to remove half of the compressor case 6 to gain access. Thus, a need exists for extending the useful life of the diaphragm and relevant portions of the compressor case forming the hook fit of a turbine engine.